CYA - Study in Greece (Semester Program)

This was such a fantastic experience! I had an amazing time and learned so much! Throughout the semester you get a great balance of class time and time to explore on your own. Especially within the field study programs, I would highly suggest going on as many optional ones as you can. I have always wanted to travel and CYA makes it so easy to experience the culture and at the same time you get a full course load of classes that are helpful and interesting. For example my classes brought us to soccer games, markets, theater, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Acropolis. Though you may feel tentative about going or signing up I'm here to tell you that this is an experience you will never regret.

College year in Athens has been such a great experience not only are we able to meet with out class at parks and around the city, the program also takes us on field study trips to various different islands and new cities that I would have never gone otherwise. We only had classes from Mon-thurs so it gives student a good amount of time to explore on the weekends. The food was amazing and so where the apartments and the space we had. Living in the city center has been a great experience, its a must!

While I've always wanted to travel to Greece, CYA created such a unique experience for me that I don't think I would've otherwise had. The faculty and staff were all so caring and understanding, attempting to get to know us as individuals first, and they made every attempt to ensure we had the fullest experience possible. I was able to complete a full semester's load of courses both within and majors and outside of them, and I never felt like I was missing out on anything. From archaeology classes at the Parthenon to anthropology classes on walks through the various neighborhoods of Athens, CYA's emphasis on on-site learning really added an essential component to my stay in Greece. Nowhere was this more evident than our field study trip throughout Greece. Within a week, we traveled to dozens of notable sites and towns including Sparta, Olympia, Delphi, and Thessaloniki. Each place had something new to offer, with our helpful instructors giving us deeper insights to every site, whether they were historical or cultural. Even outside of school, CYA encouraged us to explore the country, giving us recommendations on places to eat around the neighborhood, sites to travel to on our days off, and common Greek phrases we could use with the locals. Pangrati, the neighborhood we lived in, began to feel like home, and the people I met both within the program and outside of it began to feel like family. Despite the pandemic, I had a full experience of Greece, and I can't wait to go back for more!

I am so glad that I took the leap and studied abroad with CYA this year! After a great spring semester, I ended up returning for a special summer program through CYA as well. I had the best Modern Greek professor ever and truly enjoyed all of my classes. The location could not have been better, and I truly felt at home in our neighborhood. CYA is so supportive of its students. I felt that I was in amazing hands, and every staff member and professor put a smile on my face! I can't wait to return!

I was a student at CYA during the Spring 2021 semester. Even though covid made some activities and experiences impossible, the staff of CYA did an incredible job in providing us with meaningful abroad experience. All the teachers were amazing, especially Professor Pitt and Professor Kritsotakis. I would definitely recommend taking at least one on-site class. I took Topography and Monuments of Ancient Athens and it provided me with an excellent understanding of the archaeological sites. The marble carving workshop is excellent and the man who runs it is quite a character. The public transit in Athens is easy to use so you can get basically anywhere you want to go around the city and the surrounding areas. The neighborhood of Pangrati where CYA is located has a farmer's market every Friday where you can get fresh produce (and funky used clothes). A block away from the CYA building there is a bakery called Kekkos run by a super kind husband and wife who really make you feel at home in Greece. Because CYA is specifically for studying abroad, they run trips to other parts of Greece as part of their class program. We went to Epidaurus, Mycenae, Sparta, Olympia, Delphi, Thessaloniki and other places with our professors there to help is understand what we were seeing. Overall, I cannot recommend CYA enough. It is a life-changing program.

CYA is an incredible program! I went during COVID lockdown and I was worried about not having a great experience, but the administration was so great with adjusting the program to make sure we had a great experience! Athens was nothing that I expected, but everything I needed in a study abroad experience! It's really easy to make connections within the city and also so easy to travel outside of Athens and Greece. I was not able to travel outside of the country due to COVID, but I got to know Athens and Greece in a way I wouldn't have were I traveling all the time. So I really recommend that if you do go, you spend time traveling to the islands and around mainland Greece- Monemvasia was my favorite location!

College Year in Athens is the ideal study abroad experience. It perfectly balances learning with fun, travel with time in Athens, and cultural immersion with lifestyle appreciation. The professors never fail to engage students and always go out of their way to make classes interactive. Despite visiting Greece during COVID-19, I felt a strong bond with my fellow students, the CYA administrators, and staff. All of the students in our program would take turns hosting dinner parties when we were unable to visit restaurants. Our administration scheduled one-on-one meetings to interact with students in a safe and comfortable environment. I was even able to intern in a hospital during the pandemic! CYA truly goes above and beyond in its efforts to engage students in Greek life. From cooking classes to backgammon competitions, the Acropolis to Thessaloniki, I loved every moment of my time as a CYA student!

Greece is the dream of someone who loves hiking, beaches, photography, history, archeology, and art. Also awesome amazing food! The gyros, the tzatziki sauce, the pizza. even the vegan options are great. the sunsets are gorgeous and the archeological sites are a must-see. The Acropolis is only a 20 minute walk away and the Panatheonic stadium right down the street. the professors are chill and will even invite you over and grab drinks with you. the people are all real nice and caring. and look out for you